


Ignition II

by blythechild



Series: Ignition Series [2]
Category: V for Vendetta (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-12
Updated: 2012-02-12
Packaged: 2017-10-31 01:48:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/338539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blythechild/pseuds/blythechild
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is part 2 of the Ignition series. You don't need to read part 1 to understand this story, but it helps. In this story, V asks Evey to help him lure a Fingerman for interrogation and things go badly leading to the possibility of V losing Evey forever.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ignition II

**Author's Note:**

> Go read part 1 if you haven't already. It's okay, I'll wait right here...
> 
> As always, this is a work of fanfiction and as such I do not claim ownership over the characters herein. It was created as a personal entertainment. This story contains mature themes and graphic sexual content, and should not be read by minors. It also contains acts of violence that I do not condone or endorse in any way.

“Bugger!” muttered Evey.

She lay on her back with her upper torso deeply embedded inside the security room’s main console. She was tangled up, had nearly been fried by one of V’s jury-rigged connectors, and now she had broken a nail. Evey was pissed. 

The Gallery’s security system had some major bugs in it: it had been going off randomly over the last 6 weeks, and what Evey had surmised was just a short somewhere had become an epic battle to get ahead of a total system failure. V was smart, but had taken some shortcuts and after nearly 15 years of service, his ad-hock security was about to call it quits on him. Like a surgeon trying to keep a critically wounded patient alive, Evey had raced to make patchy repairs on vital sections and forestall a cascade collapse of everything electrical connected to the gallery: everything from surveillance systems to the tiny light in the back of the fridge was at risk. 

Evey had hoped to become more useful to V after her bombing adventure with him weeks ago, but she had yet to be invited out again. He seemed to think that she could be of more use in the Gallery, so she tried her best to earn his respect and trust while suppressing her resentment at the resurrection of her narrow world. 

Evey had felt tremendously alive and vital that night in V’s presence and she yearned to experience the sensation once more. She also wanted the opportunity to spend more time with him in close, dependant proximity. She wanted him to see her as capable – more than just a helpless victim – perhaps then he would start to see her as the woman that she was and not as the child that he imagined. He might never feel anything for her, or be drawn to her extraordinary nature as she was to his, but he might yet learn to respect her enough to treat her as an equal. Well, a girl could hope anyway.

“Sweet, blessed motherfucker!” Evey swore again as her random thoughts had caused her to be careless and she cut herself on a rough seam of stainless steel.

“Good lord, Evey, you have the blue vocabulary of a longshoreman!”

Evey, shocked and alarmed, sat bolt upright inside the cramped console hitting her head solidly against the inner bulkhead.

“Ow! GODDAMMIT V!”

“Evey?” V bent over sideways and cocked his head as she wriggled her lithe body out from under the mess of wires and metal. “Are you alright?”

He had been standing just inside the security doorway for 10 minutes just watching and listening to her, undisturbed. These moments were rare – moments where she was unconscious of his presence and completely herself – and he drank them in with the greedy, guilty pleasure of a practiced voyeur. She seemed more extraordinary to him every day, and though he had enjoyed their adventure out together, he had not found the courage to duplicate it again. _Most likely because the first time was not your idea in the first place, old man,_ he thought, _she caused that event to occur_. He relived the evening obsessively in his mind and often wondered if she had intended to kiss him on the rooftop overlooking London, or whether that had been mere delusion on his part. He had shown her more of the Gallery after that night, trusted her more, but she had withdrawn and seemed vaguely angry most of the time. He wondered if he had gone too far, or not far enough. He was certain that she had warmed towards him but would never return his feelings, even if he were viable as a suitor in any way. V’s desire for her was now eating up huge swaths of his time – time that he did not have to spare – and he knew that there was only one solution for it: get rid of her. Since he could never have her, he must free himself from her spell, but, somehow, he could not quite bring himself to let her go.

“Christ! That’s gonna leave a mark…” Evey muttered as she stood up from the console holding her forehead. “Must you creep about the place like an alley cat, V?”

“Apologies, my child. It’s a force of habit, I’m afraid.” V bowed slightly and then moved towards her to examine the rising goose egg on her skull. “Hmmm, impressive. But I can see that you have a thick skull – you’ll be fine.”

 _Was he smirking behind that mask? It sounds like he’s enjoying this_ , Evey thought ruefully. 

“How go the repairs?” V asked breezily.

“It’s a bloody mess, V. I’m starting to wonder if you were on drugs when you set this up…” Evey did not want to be curt with him but found that her resentment had full command over her suddenly.

“I _may_ have been.” V murmured, dismissing both her comment and her tone. “But I actually sought you out for a different purpose.”

“Really.” Evey announced dryly. “What is it now? Is the Wurlitzer skipping again? Can’t figure out how to reset the clock on the microwave?”

There it was again: the hostility. V’s heart cracked a bit at her words. She had come back to him the night of the bombing raid but perhaps she now regretted it. He had no charms to soothe her any longer, and he felt her slowly but surely slipping away from him. Every part of him ached with the knowledge that he had come so close to personal happiness, but had failed to achieve it. He had to let her go. His plan for this evening went from opportunity to sorrow in an instant.

“Err, no. I thought that you might like to help me tonight. I have a mission that requires another party. It is a role that you would be better suited to play.”

“Oh.” Said Evey softly. “What is it?”

“I shall explain it once I show you your costume.” V said as he directed her towards his room.

\----------------------------------------------

“You want me to do WHAT?!?” 

Evey panicked. _How could he possibly know? No, he can’t know – can he sense it, though? Is that why he doesn’t want me? He must be able to smell the stink of it on me! Stupid, stupid girl! To think that you could outrun your past! To think that someone so extraordinary would ignore that you had sunk so low!_ She felt like sobbing and wished that she were alone so that she could release her anguish in private. But he was standing before her awaiting her reply, hands clasped before him leaning forward in anticipation of her response. How cruel of him to delight in the revelation of her sordid past, no matter how indirect he had been about it!

“It is distasteful, to be sure. But you will only be acting, Evey, and I will be present the entire time to assure your safety.”

“Present? How?” Evey’s mind was reeling.

“I have prosthetics, a costume, and a role to play as well. I will be your…err, pimp.” V ducked his mask slightly at the term, as if he would _ever_ sell her charms to another.

V wanted access to Creedy, but had not found a chink in his armor yet. One of Creedy’s most senior officers favored a high-end gentleman’s club that offered expensive, cultured call girls. The senior officer, Barnus, had a ‘type’ that Evey just happened to fit, and V had proposed that Evey attempt to lure Barnus out of the club and into V’s clutches for some ‘information gathering’. V would pose as Evey’s pimp and keep an eye on them – he was even going to ‘wire’ Evey so that he could hear everything that was going on. All of this was supposed to make Evey feel better about the whole scenario, but it was actually having the opposite effect on her.

“What makes you think that I can do this, V?” her tone was like razorblades on ice “Why did you think up this scene with me in mind?”

V remained silent and still for a minute.

“If it is too much for you, Evey, you need not agree to it. I will find a way to Creedy in another manner.” V said quietly.

Evey wilted inside. If she did not do it, he would never see her as anything but a victim. He would never respect her. And he would always remember that she once did it for money but would not _play_ the part for him. She was damned either way. She nodded her head.

“Ok. I’ll do it.”

“Fine. I shall leave you to prepare then…” V turned from his room and gave her some privacy.

_It’s worse than I thought: she doesn’t share my vision or my excitement, as she did during the bombing. She resents this place, and me utterly. I must find a way to let her go…_

\----------------------------------------

V dressed and prepared his ‘face’ quickly, then returned to his room to check on Evey’s progress. She sat before his make-up mirror adding the finishing touches to her face and hair. He leaned against the doorframe silently and watched her complete her alchemy. She looked older, more mature, and her face held a smoldering promise of seduction that proper make-up and fundamental self-awareness can produce. The dress that he had chosen was stunning: sheer and a translucent blue-black that shimmered as the light caught flecks of the iridescent thread in the fabric. It was strapless and low-cut, but not brazenly so, and it fell to the floor like a formal ball gown save for the side vent that opened up the length of her leg almost to the hip. Once again she was like the moon wrapped up in the night sky, but this time she was both mysterious and alluring. 

Evey put down her make-up brush and stared at herself in the mirror, seemingly still unaware of his presence. She rested her chin in one hand and spoke aloud to herself.

“Hello, darling. Who are you?”

“Evey?” V whispered.

She turned in her seat slowly and rose with the elongated grace of something finely tuned for a specific purpose. It struck V suddenly that she was like a corporeal incarnation of one of his knives in that moment: beautiful and dangerous, bristling with intent. She walked towards him, never faltering on her 4-inch heels, and stopped only a finger-length’s away from him. She reached out to touch his face in curiosity – it was the first time that he had ever worn anything other than his Fawkes mask in her presence.

“Who are _you_?” she whispered as she felt the latex covering his face. “I used to ask that of myself every night. If you are pretending to be someone else, you must know who that someone is.”

Evey stroked his face, taking in his cheekbones, his forehead, the line of his nose and the shape of his lips with her fingertips. He was disguised but he could not hide the bone structure beneath it, and she felt as if she was really meeting him for the first time. He had strong, chiseled features and his lithe body was encased in a trim fitting black suit of impeccable tailoring; unlike any pimp that she had ever known. His black suit blended into a crisp black dress shirt that was accented by a crimson tie – very ‘Hong Kong hired killer’ – and he wore tinted glasses that were just dark enough to obscure his expression. The look was finished off with a wig of shoulder length dark blonde hair, which seemed a bit odd considering the soberness of the rest of him.

He allowed her exploration, then straightened and moved a little closer to her.

“You are used to pretending?” he whispered.

“I didn’t always work at the BTN, you know…” Sadness flicked across her face.

“You look…remarkable, Evey. I have one more thing that I want you to wear.”

V held a small, clear disk between his fingers. It was an audio transceiver with an adhesive backing – a wireless ‘wire’. She stripped the backing off it and looked at him questioningly.

“It needs to be as close to your mouth as you can manage, otherwise I won’t hear anything.”

Evey fixed him with a seductive smile and slowly slid the disk down between her breasts so that it was hidden from view by the neckline of her gown. V watched her apply the wire in silence, working to keep his expression neutral.

“How’s that?” she purred.

“Err, you need to activate it.” He whispered, leaning in closer. “You have to press the black button.”

“Would you like to do it?” If he was going to use her as a whore, she would tease him like one.

V backed away from her.

“No.”

He turned on his heel and walked into the main Gallery. Evey thought that, for a moment before he answered, that a look of regret had coloured his features.

She activated the wire and followed him without a word.

\------------------------------------------

Evey leaned against the bar rail to ease the pressure on her aching feet. Her shoes were for show only, not highly practical for walking or standing in. It had been 4 hours of endless propositions and still no Barnus. V sat at the opposite of the long bar and nursed a glass of scotch. In order to keep up the pretense of whore and pimp, Evey would routinely send over an enterprising mark to negotiate her price with him. V would in turn quote something astronomical which would send the potential suitor packing. Every time a man walked up to him and asked for Evey’s price, he wanted to gut the sucker like a flounder. He watched her preening at the end of the bar and listened to her flirting over the wire’s receiver nestled in his ear, and seethed. She was giving these lecherous cretins what he would have died to hear himself, and it was all a lie. She would not even _lie_ like this for him. 

Her hostility and resentment had become so obvious after her had asked her for her help, that he had considered just calling the whole thing off and unlocking the Gallery doors for her – if he made her so miserable, she should just go. He could not bear to be so disappointing to her. Her departure was worth the risk to the both of them, and the heartache that would live with him for the remainder of his days, few though they might be. Her behavior now, though she was playing a part, was further proof that she distained him. If Barnus did not show soon, he would take her outside, give her the money and keys to a flat that he had in his pocket, and tell her to never look back. Then he would go home and get blind drunk. 

_My feet are killing me!_ Her voice whispered in his ear. _I don’t think that he’s going to show._

There was no way for him to respond to her. He looked up from his scotch and saw her glance in his direction. He forced a smile and tilted his head slightly, as if to say ‘give it a while longer’. She narrowed her eyes at him and half turned away.

 _If you wanted to punish me for WHATEVER it is that I’ve done, you could have found a less humiliating and public way to do it, V!_ She hissed into the mic.

What was she talking about? Why would he want to punish her by making her pretend to be a whore?

_I can’t help my past, V, but I never thought that you’d force me to re-live it for sport. You may find me disgusting, but just imagine what it is like to live with the knowledge of your own shame AND the scorn of others!_

As if something had finally slipped into place, V realized what he had done. Evey had once been a prostitute. How could he have been so obtuse?! No wonder why she had acted so miserably towards him! And now she thought that he despised her, that he hated her for some reason! No, Evey – that’s not what I wanted! I just wanted your help, your companionship! I didn’t know…

V rose from his seat at the end of the bar, his heart racing. He had to get her out of here! He had to make amends! 

_I’ve been watching you for a little while and I think that you don’t quite belong here…_ A man’s baritone sliced across the wire into V’s ear: Barnus.

 _Really? So long as I can pay my tab, I think that the management is okay with me._ Evey purred back in response. _Are you stalking me, or are you just shy?_

 _Neither._ Barnus chuckled. _I work for the Finger – I’m trained to watch people and you are a pleasure to watch._

 _I can be much more of a pleasure than that, but not if you intend to bust me._ Evey’s voice was cautious but flirtatious. She was working him just right.

_I’m off the clock, honey, and I don’t come here for the booze. You’ve been turning down gents all night, are you saying that you’ve been waiting for me?_

_I’m good enough to be able to pick and choose, yes._

_I thought that the surly guy at the end of the bar did the picking and choosing for you…_

_What an ugly suggestion! He’s merely…my business manager. I’m not a racehorse, no one runs me._

V gripped his scotch glass tightly and began to feel it crack under the pressure. He had to calm down; she was just playing her role. He sat back down at the bar and watched them intently. He was so absorbed that he almost missed the group of Fingermen in the corner that was also watching the couple earnestly. They were not drinking. They were wearing their coats. V’s instincts went on high alert: something was very, very wrong.

V had skipped over some of Barnus’ conversation; they were already talking about money.

_500 gets you straight for an hour, 700 buys you the evening, 1000 gets you whatever your heart desires._

_At those prices, no wonder you don’t have many takers!_

_It’s not quantity, its quality, luv. You get what you pay for. Before the night’s through, I’ll make you a believer._

Evey, no! V’s mind screamed and thrashed as he tried to come up with a new plan to get them both out of there unscathed. He would forego the interrogation of Barnus – he just had to have Evey safe.

_Oh, I want to believe, honey! I want to sample all of your wares…what about your ‘business manager’?_

_I told you – no one runs me. Let’s go, I know a place not far from here._

Barnus grabbed Evey’s wrap and they both headed for the club’s alley door. V followed as discretely as he could manage considering the state that he was in. Despite his focus, he saw the group of Fingermen get up to pursue him. Barnus had been bait. Evey had lured Barnus, but Barnus had lured V. Who was running Barnus? This was becoming a clusterfuck of epic proportions.

V burst through the alley doorway to see Evey and Barnus turn the corner where the alley connected to another. He had to move fast. Easing his coat over his shoulders and unbuttoning his suit jacket for access to his knives, he headed in Evey’s direction.

“Oi! Let ‘em be, mate – our man needs a bit of privacy with Miss Hammond.”

V spun and saw 9 Fingermen fanning out into a semi-circle blocking his exit to the street. Their guns were drawn. 9 men with guns versus 1 man with knives; hardly seemed fair to them, he thought.

“Miss Hammond?” V spoke.

“Yes, your associate, Codename V. Barnus will see to ‘er. You’re comin’ with us.”

\----------------------------------------------

“This spot seems as good as any…” Barnus stopped and threw Evey up against a filthy alley wall.

“Owf! I’m not an ‘outdoors’ kinda girl, luv…” Evey tried to keep her voice calm and compelling.

“For the prices you charge, Miss Hammond, I should get whatever I want wherever I want it.” Barnus hissed.

“Pardon? Who’s Miss Hammond?” Evey’s heart lurched into her throat – he knew who she was.

“Don’t be coy, Evey… When I saw you, I thought that you were just a fine piece of tail.” Barnus pressed his body forcefully against hers and licked her from breast to earlobe before continuing. “But then I recognized you from your ‘wanted’ photo, though you’re much more fetching than I would have thought from that schoolgirl shot…”

Evey squirmed under his bulk. Barnus shoved her back into the brick wall and ground his pelvis into her.

“Be STILL!” He shouted suddenly. “It was the guys who figured that you must be a lure of some kind, so I took you up on it. They’re apprehending your ‘business manager’ as we speak. You’re just an added bonus, honey.”

V! Evey’s thoughts ran to the savior that would no longer be coming for her. _Oh, V – I’m sorry! If they hadn’t recognized me, you would be safe!_ If she could get away from Barnus, would she be able to help V? She had to try: she owed V that much.

“I told you – nobody runs me. And nobody uses me either…” she growled.

Evey bit down on Barnus’ neck viciously while kicking him with a stiletto on his shin. He yowled and covered the bloody bite mark with his hand. He drew back and punched Evey in the stomach, doubling her over and leaving her breathless. Barnus withdrew his hand and saw blood on it.

“Bitch! I was just having a bit of fun with ya! But, if you like it rough, I’ll give it to ya that way. It doesn’t matter how broken you are when we question you, so long as yer mouth still works! You WILL talk and I WILL get Creedy in my back pocket by apprehending both Codename V and his accomplice!”

Barnus grabbed Evey by the throat and forced her to stand upright against the wall. With his bloodied hand, he ripped her wrap off her body and forced her legs apart with his knee. Fighting for breath, Evey fought her default tendency to just go limp and pretend that she was not about to be raped – V needed her. It was no longer just about her survival. Barnus fumbled with his belt buckle and while he was fighting with it, Evey reached up and plunged two fingers into his eye sockets. Barnus yowled again, raised her off her feet by her throat and tore the front of her dress so that her cleavage spilled out. She screamed silently and thrashed as her oxygen was cut off and the edges of her vision grew dark. 

Suddenly, Barnus flipped her face first against the wall and looped his belt around her neck. She felt the cold night air chill her backside as her hiked her dress up over her hips and pressed his erection against her. He cinched his belt tightly around her throat.

“Ever heard of breath play, honey? I’m gonna bring you to the edge of death, you bitch, and you’re gonna come like you’ve never come before. If I let you live, you’ll thank me for raping you and beg for it over and over again. Better than that degenerate terrorist ever gave you…”

“You can compare for yourself, Barnus, once V finds you and fucks you over for this!” She gasped.

Barnus laughed and tightened the belt again. Evey saw stars. She was just moments away from passing out altogether. One final thought glided through her head and she fumbled at her garter strap and found her small knife. The last vestiges of oxygen were gone and her arms felt like lead. Just one more movement, one more act of rebellion, and she could rest.

“V…” She whispered as she reached behind her and plunged the small blade into Barnus’ neck.

Barnus dropped the belt and backed away from her, allowing Evey to crumple down the wall and into the gutter. Her eyes closed and all that she could hear was her labored breathing. She waited for Barnus to renew his assault. Instead she heard the strike of metal, a faint gurgling, and the heavy drop of a body beside her. Evey opened her eyes and found herself face to face with Barnus, but his eyes looked right through her, a long slice across his throat leaked red into the alleyway. 

“Evey!”

Hands descended on her and released the belt from around her neck. 

“Evey! _Please!_ ”

She opened her eyes and saw a blonde man looking down at her. He had removed his glasses and she _saw_ fear in his eyes. Beautiful blue eyes. 

“V?” she croaked.

Relief washed across him then, and he grabbed her up in his arms and began to run down the alleyway. He quickly got them below ground and soon they found themselves in an abandoned tube station, where he gently sat her down. As Evey sat, she began to shake and cough. V knelt before her and wrapped her in his cashmere coat. She closed her eyes and reveled in the delicious warmth and scent that had, only a moment ago, been his. _What marvelous taste he had,_ she thought.

“Evey, are you alright?” His hands moved over her face and neck as if touch itself would heal her.

“I’ll live.” She felt as if her throat had been removed and a pulsing, metal bar had been left in its place. “You’re alright…”

“Yes, I’m fine. I had some Fingermen to deal with. Did he… did Barnus…?” V’s voice faltered as he tried to find a euphemism for ‘rape’.

Evey’s head and neck pounded mercilessly but she found the strength to stand and move away from him.

“Do you care?”

“Of course I care!”

“Why? I’m only a whore – you’ve made that plain…”

“Evey! I’ve said no such thing to you!” V moved towards her but she backed away.

“You expect me to believe that you put me through all of this tonight and you _didn’t know_ that I was a prostitute?!”

“How would I know that? Why should I even _think_ it?! And, as for putting you through it, why didn’t you just tell me ‘no’ in the first place?!” V was exasperated and yelling, his voice echoing through the station.

“I had hoped for your respect! Once I thought that you knew about my past, I thought that my only hope of getting you to _see me_ was to do this for you. Now it seems that any glimmer of that is gone, along with anything else that I had hoped for…” Evey gesticulated and V’s coat fell open revealing her exposed chest.

“Evey, cover yourself.” V mumbled while trying to overt his eyes.

“Why? What does it matter now?”

“COVER YOURSELF!” V grabbed the lapels of his coat and closed it around her while he pushed her up against the station wall. “You are NOT a whore! I will never think of you that way! Not ever!”

Madness seized him and he pulled her into his chest and kissed her. His lips bruised hers with their intensity and Evey opened her mouth under his and invited him in. He tasted of spirit gum and scotch, and the latex around his lips felt strange, but Evey wanted him nonetheless. V groaned in surprise and pleasure as his tongue played with hers, and her body began to cleave into his. He had expected her to push him away. One hand wrapped in her hair and the other pulled her hips into his possessively. Such an inexpressible joy to have her bend to him willingly!

Evey whimpered. She was surprised at how quickly terror and anger had turned to passion. All that she wanted was finally happening in this moment. She changed the angle of their kiss and he moved with her, unable to get enough of her taste. She found his hand at her waist and moved it slowly to her exposed breast, sighing at the thought of his touch. He felt her soft, round nipple harden under his fingers, and he tore himself away from her as if electrocuted. Evey gasped at the sudden loss of him and wandered forward to re-establish their connection.

“V…”

“No, this isn’t real – it’s not really for me.” He backed away from her.

“What do you mean?” Evey was suddenly on the verge of tears.

He did not answer. He only grabbed her wrist and led her back towards the Gallery.

\--------------------------------------------

V locked the Gallery portal and leaned heavily against a side table that was well out of the Gallery’s lighting. He was shaking all over and he could no longer disguise his emotions from Evey, making this temporary hiding a necessity. Evey stood just inside the portal and stared at him in disbelief. The angry welts where the belt had choked her were already beginning to rise. Her dress was torn, her make-up smudged, her nylons were ripped and her shoes were gone. She was still swathed in his oversized coat and she was looking at him with an expression that was killing him.

After he had touched her, every fiber of his being wanted her. That kiss alone would be enough to fire his dreams for the rest of his days; he did not care how many men had had her before, so long as _he_ could have her now. But he was scared. He was scared that she would leave him anyway. He was scared that she would derail his vendetta. He was scared that she was only doing this to repay him somehow. For all of his bravery in the face of insurmountable odds, he was truly afraid of this tiny woman.

“V?” Evey ventured as she tried to edge closer to him.

V backed away slightly and she stopped in her tracks, like she was spooking a cornered animal.

“V… please. _Please_ …” It was all that she could think to say.

V straightened up, bowed stiffly and walked towards his bedroom.

“Goodnight, Evey.”

And with that, he turned, shut the door on her and locked it behind him.

\------------------------------------------------

Evey was sobbing. He could hear it as clearly as if she were standing in front of him. She had been crying on and off for almost 2 hours. This shocked him considerably and twisted his heart into a large knot that pained him with every beat. What had he done to them? How could something that he wanted so much have turned out _this_ badly? He held his head in his hands as he sat in the main Gallery, newly outfitted in his traditional black garb and Fawkesian mask. He was hoping for an inspirational solution to this problem to come to him, but 2 hours later he was still flailing around in his own mess. Evey’s sobs stopped suddenly, and he rose from his chair and lingered by her closed bedroom door in order to catch a sound from the room. He rested his forehead against the door and braced his hands on the frame. _Evey, I’m a fool._

Suddenly, the door opened and he nearly fell inwards onto Evey as it did so. She screamed in surprise and backed up as he righted himself. She was wearing warm street clothes, her hair was tied back and her eyes were red and puffy. V noticed a packed satchel his her right hand.

“I’m sorry. I heard you crying and I was concerned for you.” V stumbled over his own words.

“Likely story.” Evey murmured. “I was hoping to slip away without you noticing.

Evey’s eyes moved to her satchel and then back to him.

“I see that you’ve donned your armor again.” She nodded to his mask and he lowered it in shame knowing that he was wearing it _precisely_ so she could not read him. “I want to leave this place, V. Will you let me go?”

So there it was, finally. She was leaving, not because she hated him, but because he was too much of a coward to love her. It seemed surreal to him considering that only 24 hours ago he had thought that she felt nothing for him. Arguments as to the true agents of personal misery flashed through his head while Evey awaited his response, and then something inside of him settled into an eerie calm. He knew what he had to do. He straightened up and placed his hands on his hips, blocking her access to the door.

“You’re not going anywhere.” He said evenly.

“Pardon?”

“You asked me if I would let you leave. The answer is ‘no’.”

“Why? Because you fear that I’ll expose you? I’ve been a party to terrorist acts. I’ve blown up buildings. I killed a Fingerman, V. I’m the _last_ person who would go to the authorities.”

“I know. I’m not worried on that score. Besides, I killed Barnus, not you though your wound would have ended him eventually.”

“Well, if you’re not concerned about betrayal, and since you clearly don’t want me, I am of no further use to you. Let me go.”

“No.”

“Why not? I have no desire to remain where I am not wanted!”

She tried to brush past him but he stepped to block her path. She huffed and moved to the opposite side as he stepped to block her yet again. 

“Get out of my bloody way, V!” Evey yelled and swung her satchel at his chest.

V grabbed her bag in one hand and threw it forcefully into the bedside lamp, smashing it and plunging the room into darkness. He grabbed Evey in the other hand and pushed her back into the room. When they hit the bedroom wall, both let out little grunts of surprise. Evey wriggled against him in defiance but he grasped her shoulders and held her in place, his mask coming to rest in the bend of her neck near her ear. 

“I said ‘no’.” He reiterated gently but firmly.

“Why?” she whimpered as tears spilled down her cheeks “Why the hell not?”

“Because it would cripple me.” He whispered in her ear.

Evey’s hands went to his sides and she felt his body vibrate under her fingertips. She had no idea if he could feel her through the thick layers of his doublet, but she could feel his power radiating out of him and holding her in check with just the light touch of his hands on her shoulders. These were the same hands that killed, the same hands that made bombs and wielded knives. These were the hands that were re-forging England. Once again she was enthralled by this power, drawn to it, knowing how dangerous he truly was. What was stopping him from crushing her in those same hands? She did not know, but she wanted them to mould her and bend her and worship her despite everything that had passed between them this evening. She closed her eyes tightly and tried not to think about the taste of his kiss.

“I don’t understand…” she murmured.

V sighed against her neck causing shivers to run up and down her body. He shifted slightly as she realized that he was removing his mask. It fell to the floor and then she felt lips brush her neck as he spoke again.

“If you truly wish to leave then I won’t stop you. If my companionship is so distasteful, I will not compel you to stay. You have seen for yourself how dangerous London has become, and I have discovered that you are more than capable of handling yourself in it, despite my desire to protect you. Go, if you must, but do not leave because you believe that I do not want you here.”

“You _want_ me to stay?”

“You are wanted here, Evey. Desperately wanted.”

In the darkness, he moved his face from the hollow of her neck until it hovered just in front of her. He could almost feel her skin in front of him. He could almost taste her lips. His hands slipped from her shoulders along her arms and then lightly rested on her waist. She was so small and light under his fingers and yet so resilient.

“Don’t leave me, Evey.” He whispered. “I love you.”

They stood silent and motionless in the dark, staring at one another. Of course, Evey could not see V but he could see her. He saw her face as she tried to absorb the events of the last 24 hours. _She wants to believe me – she wants to trust me again!_

“You’re wondering why I acted as I did in the tube station.” Though he was only whispering, his voice felt deafening in the silence surrounding them.

Evey nodded.

“I was scared.” He said. “For nearly 20 years I’ve worked for only one purpose. Then you arrived and ever since I have been catching myself altering that purpose because of you. I’ve never known love, Evey, and rarely experienced kindness. You have brought out things in me that I was not prepared for.”

V sighed and leaned his forehead against hers, their noses brushing slightly.

“You weren’t part of the plan, Evey.”

“V,” Evey whispered “You weren’t part of mine either.”

Her hand left his side and stroked the line of his jawbone down to his chin, taking in the maze of scar tissue as it traveled. His hand flashed up and caught hers out of instinct. She twitched slightly at his speed but held her ground otherwise.

“That’s another thing: you have never really seen me, Evey. I am hideous. My entire body was burned…”

“V,” Evey stopped him in mid-sentence “Does it bother you that I used to sell my body for money – that endless men have known me?”

V was quiet for a moment.

“We all do what we must to survive.” He whispered. “I understand that better than most. What bothers me is that you carry it with you still. It bothers me that it effects the way _you_ think others see you.”

He cradled her face in his hands.

“You are so remarkable, Evey! That’s all I see when I look at you.”

“Well then, is it not possible that all I see of you is the force and will of the man beneath the mask? By covering yourself you have compelled me to look beyond your surface trappings in order to find out who you really are. No one has ever thrilled me as you do: you are infectious and unstoppable. _That_ is what I felt the night of the bombing raid, and what has driven me to earn your admiration ever since. You may wear your scars on the outside, but we are similar creatures, V.”

V’s heart pounded frantically as he held her. Of course, she was right, but it would take him forever to lose the shame of his own skin. Perhaps it would also take her time to shake off the stigma of her past too. He was on fire at the prospect that, maybe, they would try to lose their demons together, as partners.

“Will you have me, then?” His voice shook as he spoke.

Her kiss descended on him softly and warmly. She took her time and lavished those feelings on him that she could not find the words for. His arms wrapped around her and welcomed her in, not just into his body but into his life as well. If V could have distilled a perfect moment to be saved and re-lived in the future, it would have been this one kiss with Evey. 

Their kiss turned from love to passion very quickly, and soon their natural instincts began to drive their actions. V stumbled towards Evey’s bed, his arms entangled in her clothing, his mouth racing to claim every inch of her as his own. They reached the bedpost and V pulled up breathlessly.

“You never answered my question… about Barnus. Did he…?” Tenderness and finely checked rage battled in his tone.

“He tried but never managed it.” Evey grabbed the front of his doublet. “V, I want you to erase that memory from me.”

A low growl rumbled in V’s chest and Evey’s whole body began to vibrate in anticipation. She laughed out loud as he gently pushed her back onto the bed and freed himself from his doublet. He stood over her, watching for an instant and savoring the moment. The dim light glowing distantly from the main Gallery outlined his tall and trim form. _He is perfect,_ she thought.

“You are perfect.” He whispered as if echoing her thoughts.

Then, he lowered himself over her, determined to craft a memory that neither one of them would ever forget.

\---------------------------------------------

They lay in a crumpled, tangled heap of one another breathing heavily with the sweat still drying on their bodies. Evey was utterly spent, but she still reached out for V and kissed him tenderly. His arms gathered her into him and stroked her face, hair, and her viciously bruised neck.

“More?” he chuckled.

“God, yes, but not now. Not again – I don’t think that I could manage again so soon. I’ll be terribly sore tomorrow as it is. I think that we’ll have to call it a night at 4…”

V made a vaguely disappointed sound.

“I do tend to recover quickly…” he sighed with regret.

“If we keep going at this pace, I shall have to start taking vitamin E supplements.” Evey giggled and snuggled into his chest.

“Hmm. I’ll be certain to lay in a store of them in that case.” He was laughing now too.

“You perv!” She grinned and mockingly pushed him away.

“You licentious harlot!” He countered and pulled her back to him for a long kiss.

When he came up for air again, he held her close and traced invisible lines across her skin with his gnarled finger.

“Well, if I can’t tempt you into further wanton acts this evening, I’m afraid that I must away.” He murmured lowly.

“Away? Where? It must be almost dawn.”

“I have a server to destroy. I have never been concerned about what little information that the Finger has amassed about me, but I will not allow them to continue to build a dossier of lies about you. I’m going to erase you from the public record, and then you can be… whomever you want.”

“Oh, V…” Evey’s eyes started to well up.

He kissed her again and then leapt out of bed, full of purpose.

“Don’t worry – it’ll be child’s play.” He was retrieving his abandoned clothing from the floor. “Get some rest. I’ll be back in an hour, I promise.”

Before she could tell him to be careful, he was gone. Evey snuggled back under the duvet and let exhaustion overtake her. She slid effortlessly into sleep and dreams of rooftops and night skies.

Some time later she awoke to the smell of bacon and the dim sound of muted jazz. Light still glowed from the doorway and Evey could hear tuneful humming that mimicked the soft music. The music was occasionally accented by the sound of a spatula grazing a pan. _The bombing must have gone swimmingly,_ she thought. She stretched languorously and looked over at the bedside table to see if her clock had survived the evening’s frivolities. It had not, but in its place was a large bottle of vitamin E tablets wrapped in a red bow.

“Cocky bugger!” Evey laughed to herself.

She climbed out of bed and grabbed the vitamin bottle. She shrugged her shoulders and popped a tablet in her mouth. _Couldn’t hurt_ , she thought. Then she wandered out to the kitchen to investigate the possibilities of a naked breakfast.


End file.
